vanilla

[ vuh-nil-uh or, often, -nel-uh ]
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noun
  1. any tropical, climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, especially V. planifolia, bearing podlike fruit yielding an extract used in flavoring food, in perfumery, etc.

  2. Also called vanilla bean . the fruit or bean of this orchid.

  1. the extract of this fruit.

adjective
  1. containing or flavored with vanilla: vanilla custard.

  2. Informal. plain vanilla.

Origin of vanilla

1
1655–65; <New Latin <Spanish vainilla little pod, equivalent to vain(a) a sheath (<Latin vāgīna sheath) + -illa diminutive suffix (< LL)

Words Nearby vanilla

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use vanilla in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for vanilla

vanilla

/ (vəˈnɪlə) /


noun
  1. any tropical climbing orchid of the genus Vanilla, esp V. plonifolia, having spikes of large fragrant greenish-yellow flowers and long fleshy pods containing the seeds (beans)

  2. the pod or bean of certain of these plants, used to flavour food, etc

  1. a flavouring extract prepared from vanilla beans and used in cooking

adjective
  1. flavoured with or as if with vanilla: vanilla ice cream

  2. slang ordinary or conventional: a vanilla kind of guy

Origin of vanilla

1
C17: from New Latin, from Spanish vainilla pod, from vaina a sheath, from Latin vāgīna sheath

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012